War has broken out in Europe, thereby intensifying the war on information. The media are well aware of this and are committed to this cause—from their investigative reporting right down to the words they use. Now more than ever, access to factual and verified information is a necessity. Here are three ways you can take action, regardless of the scale.
Filter the news There is a lot
of content circulating about the conflict in Ukraine, including a great deal of misinformation. To help you stay well-informed, Numerama has put together a short list of media outlets and reporters on the ground that are worth following. Journalist Thomas Eydoux is doing remarkable work for France 24 using OSINT, or open-source intelligence. This is a tool that allows, for example, the analysis of images shared on social media.
Compter sur son audience
Alors que les journalistes du média d’enquête Reflets étaient à la recherche de caméras accessibles via Internet pour suivre le conflit, l’équipe s’est retrouvée par hasard dans les voitures de police ukrainiennes. Reprise par l’AFP, l’enquête a circulé et a permis au média indépendant d’interpeller ses lecteur·ices sur la nécessité d’un soutien financier pour continuer leur travail. En Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent se pose une question : partir ou rester ? De l’autre côté de la frontière en Russie, les médias indépendants se battent pour fournir une information non dictée par le Kremlin.
Choosing One’s Words: When
Semantic Choice Is a Political Choice. *Libération* has now chosen to write “Kyiv” rather than “Kiev.” “Political considerations prevail,” the newspaper states, as the second outlet to adopt the Russian name. For their part, most English-language media outlets, such as the BBC, adopted this spelling as early as January. This semantic shift has become a form of commitment for the newspaper, as François Cardinal of the Canadian newspaper *La Presse* explains to his readers, while acknowledging that it may offend some. In Russia, while most independent newspapers and social media platforms have been blocked, The Village made an editorial decision and announced to its readers that it was rewriting all its articles referring to a war in order to avoid sanctions.
